– Psych star James Roday will be guest starring on Monday’s RAW to promote The Miz’s appearance on Psych this Wednesday. This is how the upcoming episode for Wednesday is being promoted:
“Mike “The Miz” Mizanin guest stars on PSYCH next Wednesday in “Shawn and the Real Girl.” Shawn (Roday) and Gus (Dulé Hill) go undercover to investigate the attempted murder of a contestant on a reality show called, “Missed Connections,” a Bachelorette-type dating show where eligible men compete for the affections of a woman each contestant has crossed paths with in the past but has never actually met. Guest stars also include Greg Grunberg, Wayne Brady and Lindsay Sloane.”
– “Ryback” Skip Sheffield continues to rack up wins at WWE live events, defeating JTG at Friday night’s live event from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He’s expected to get called up to the main roster soon.
– Here’s the latest SmackDown Backstage Fallout video featuring interviews with The Miz, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger and Vickie Guerrero.
— Skip Sheffield defeated Michael McGillicutty in a dark match at tonight’s Raw SuperShow in Chicago, Illinois.
— Former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler is advertised to appear on the Rachael Ray Show this Friday. A listing for the talk show says she will be sharing her New Year’s Eve plans with actor George Clooney and her tips for staying slim.
— Beth Phoenix is advertised to appear at Motor Trend International Auto Show Baltimore Convention Center One West Pratt St. Baltimore, Maryland on February 11, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Paid Admission required. Event information is available here.
— Cable television ratings will be delayed this week due to the holiday weekend. The rating for last week’s SmackDown should be available Tuesday.
Shaq Says He's In Talks With WWE to Wrestle Big Show at WM28
– NBA star Shaquille O’Neal appeared on Chicago’s Abe Kanan radio show on Thursday and said he’s in talks for a match against Big Show at WrestleMania.
Shaq, a lifelong wrestling fan, has appeared on WWE television several times in recent years, including a spot as the RAW Guest Host back in 2009. Shaq had a face-to-face confrontation with The Big Show at that time and has been interested in working a WWE match for a very long time.
With WWE negotiating with Shaq to step in the ring at WrestleMania, you can see the company is going all out in hopes of making next year’s event the biggest WrestleMania of all time.
– Aside from WWE announcing that January’s Royal Rumble match will be returning to the traditional 30-man format, John Cena vs. Kane is also confirmed for the event.
– Regarding Chris Hero and WWE, the company is said to still be interested in bringing him in, despite reports that he did not pass a WWE physical due to elevated testosterone levels.
Hero will be undergoing more medical tests in January and if things go as expected, he will be signed. Hero’s most recent round of physicals took place in September.
– WWE appears to have abandoned plans to re-introduce Brodus Clay. Last we heard from Brodus Clay, he tweeted that he was going to destroy John Morrison on his final night with the company. Clay would not have tweeted that if he wasn’t told he’d be on RAW that night, but Morrison wound up getting laid out by his former tag team partner The Miz – with no mention of Clay on WWE television since then.
– Skip Sheffield has been told that he’s returning with a push in early 2012.
Skip Sheffield has deleted the cryptic tweets he made over the weekend that he’s returning on January 2nd as his former gimmick, “Ryback,” a terminator cyborg.
Skip Sheffield, who has been on the sideline for almost a year and is expected to return to WWE soon, tweeted several cryptic messages over the weekend.
Sheffield hinted that he could be the man behind the recent “It Begins” videos and could be returning as his “Ryback” Terminator character.
“Sitting in a chair at a table in Sin City wondering why this ladder is in front of me? Laughing at the gossip, the Secret Power, it begins..
Who am I? Only time will tell, but rest assured narkboys Im not a Terminator sent to save John Connor. I also hate College Station #Fake
I refuse to type it yyywid is fake, accept n forget. My life my rules. Born n raised in Sin City, soon a psycho will be unleashed. #Patience”
It’s worth noting that back in October, it was reported that WWE applied to register a new trademarks for the name “Ryback.”
— Skip Sheffield competed in his first match in over a year at Saturday’s Raw live event in Sunrise, Florida, defeating Alex Riley.
The former Nexus member had been sidelined since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a Raw live event in Honolulu, Hawaii. He underwent a third surgical procedure in June and vowed that it would be his last.
— The official website of the St. Pete Times Forum is advertising Triple H for Monday’s Raw SuperShow.
– The Miz is advertised for Conan on Thursday. The program airs at 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. on TBS.
— On Skip Sheffield’s Facebook page, he was tagged in a photo by a fan who ran into him earlier this month at an auto shop in Florida. The fan says Sheffield told him he will be returning to WWE television under the name Ryback.
Sheffield was removed from the Raw Superstars page on WWE.com earlier this week, thus indicating that the character is through. WWE recently applied to trademark Ryback, which suggests that he will be repackaged with a new character upon his return from injury. Prior to assuming the cowboy persona in WWE’s developmental system, he appeared as Ryback, an indestructible “Terminator” style character billed from “The Future.”
— TechCrunch.com has published an article praising WWE for their efforts to integrate Twitter and Facebook into their television broadcasts.
— Goldust stated on Twitter that WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes will have an account on the micro-blogging site soon.
–- Skip Sheffield has been removed from the Raw Superstars page on WWE.com. His page is also inaccessible.
This does not necessarily mean that he has parted ways with WWE. The company recently applied to trademark Ryback, which suggests that he will be repackaged with a new character upon his return from injury. Prior to assuming the cowboy persona in WWE’s developmental system, he appeared as Ryback, an indestructible “Terminator” style character billed from “The Future.”
— Carlito indicated on Twitter that he would be interesting in joining WWE or TNA Wrestling. However, he is currently tied to the “Unemployed Wrestling League.”
“For those who keep asking..I would love to go back to WWE but I just signed a long term deal with UWL. For info on UWL go to my bio,” he wrote. “That same answer goes for those asking if I’ll be joining TNA. I hope this clears everything up.”
Carlito has appeared for World Wrestling Council, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración and numerous independent groups since parting ways with WWE last year. He currently reigns as WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion.
— WWE has applied for registrations on two trademarks, Ryback and Avalanche.
The registration of the Ryback trademark suggests that Skip Sheffield will be repackaged with a new character upon his return from injury. Prior to assuming the cowboy persona in WWE’s developmental system, he appeared as Ryback, an indestructible “Terminator” style character billed from “The Future.”
— Shelly Martinez is advertised to appear at Super Megafest, which takes place November 19 and 20 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel in Framingham, Massachusetts. She will also be appearing at an afterparty on November 19 at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Boston. Click here for event details.
— Tough Enough winner Daniel Puder is promoting an anti-bullying event. The event takes place Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Burbank, California at the AMC-16 at the Burbank Promenade.
— Rey Mysterio stated this afternoon on Twitter that he may need to undergo a second surgical procedure to reinforce his posterior cruciate ligament.
He wrote, “Might need surgery #2 on my knee this week, need to go back in & reinforce the pcl ( Posterior ligament) Shouldn’t b bad,hopefully!1 luv 619”
Mysterio blew out his knee while attempting a baseball slide during a match against Alberto Del Rio on the August 15 episode of Raw. He underwent surgery on August 26 to repair knee ligaments and have bone spurs removed. There is talk that he may not be able to return to action until WrestleMania XXVIII.
— Former WWE Diva Cherry stated the following on Twitter regarding the injured Skip Sheffield: “It was so nice running into my good friend Skip Sheffield! He looks fantastic and is recovering very well!!!”
The former Nexus member has remained sidelined since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a Raw live event in Honolulu, Hawaii. He underwent a third surgical procedure in June and vowed on Twitter that it would be his last.
— Averno, who’s reportedly heading to WWE to feud with former rival Mistico (a/k/a Sin Cara), lost his mask Friday night to La Mascara at CMLL’s Jucio Final event.
Following his defeat, Averno took his mask off and announced his real name as Renato Ruiz Cortez of Mexico City, 34 years old with 16 years experience as a wrestler.
— Skip Sheffield was spotted last week in Tampa, Florida on crutches and his leg in a cast. The former member of Nexus underwent a third surgical procedure last Tuesday, which he vowed on Twitter would be his last. He hasn’t appeared on television since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a WWE live event in Honolulu, Hawaii.
— WWE returns to the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey on September 3, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale July 16, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
— Skip Sheffield, who has been sidelined since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a WWE live event in Honolulu, Hawaii, announced via Twitter that he will be undergoing another surgical procedure this Tuesday.
He wrote, “Will be having a third surgery this Tuesday and it will be the last,” Sheffield wrote. “There are a lot of people who are far worse off and this is all happening for a good reason. I wish I was back right now and doing what I love, but things are not right and they have to be fixed. I will be 100 percent very soon and back on WWE TV and I thank all of you for your support. I have kept my head held high and I cannot thank WWE enough for their support in this time. I have worked too hard too long to just give up and while it has been difficult it has only made me a stronger better person so please be patient and I will be back I promise.”
— A Monday Night Raw taping will be held at the Oklahoma City Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on October 10, 2011.
— WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik is scheduled for an autograph signing tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Wrestling Universe store in Flushing, Queens. For more information, call 718-460-2777.
— Raw Superstar Skip Sheffield, who hasn’t appeared on television since breaking his leg and ankle on August 18, 2010 at a WWE live event in Honolulu, Hawaii, issued his first public comments since suffering the injury yesterday on Twitter.
“First and last update here since so many of you have been kind to ask. Things have been extremely complicated with the injury and it was much more than just a broken ankle and leg,” he wrote.
“It has been the most positive experience of my life and I promise you I will return very soon bigger and badder than anything you have ever seen. Nobody is going to stop me from achieving what I have set out to do.”
— The Undertaker, Triple H, Sean Waltman and members of WWE’s creative team were at Florida Championship Wrestling’s Tampa based facility on May 4 scouting talent.
— This week’s episode of WWE Superstars featured 19 minutes and 46 seconds of in-ring action, down from 26 minutes and 3 seconds the week before.
— Last Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown scored a 2.1 cable rating, setting a record for the series on Syfy. The show garnered 3.3 million viewers overall.
It was the third consecutive week SmackDown set a new viewership record, surpassing the previous week’s number of 2.9 million.
— Jim Ross noted on Twitter that he’s taping a sports show for KSBI TV 52 tonight in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
— WWE officials are hopeful that Skip Sheffield will be healthy enough to return to action by the post-WrestleMania television tapings. He has been sidelined since August due to a compound fracture of his ankle.
John Piermarini, a former writer with WWE, recently started a blog recalling numerous behind the scenes stories that occurred during his two year stint with the organization. Highlights include:
* Piermarini says he originally proposed that Mason Ryan fill Sheffield’s powerhouse role in The Nexus shortly after “The Cornfed Meathead” fractured his ankle. Vince McMahon, however, rejected the idea.
* Vince McMahon views Skip Sheffield as a potential number two babyface, behind John Cena. He remains sidelined after suffering a compound fracture of his ankle in August.
* Piermarini says the original concept of the Uso brothers was to present them as the opposite of the stereotypical Samoan wrestler—educated, intelligent and wear boots. “Usos would essentially have been the Russell Simmons of the WWE. That preppy hip-hop style,” he says. Piermarini attributes their lackluster push in the organization to Vince McMahon not understanding hip-hop culture, and thus couldn’t comprehend the appeal of the brothers Uso. He also says they fell victim to bad timing due to The Nexus debuting shortly after them.
Injured WWE stars Skip Sheffield, Beth Phoenix and Michael Tarver were on hand for Florida Championship Wrestling’s “Hog Wild” event in Brandon, Florida on Friday, taking part in an autograph session. All three indicated to fans when they would likely be healthy enough to return to the ring from their respective injuries.
Sheffield, who suffered a compound fracture of his ankle at a live event in August, said he expects to return in March.
On the October 4 episode of Raw, Tarver was attacked by John Cena, with Wade Barrett later stating that he would have thrown him out of The Nexus anyway. The storyline was put in place due to Tarver sustaining a groin injury. He stated he hopes to return in January.
Phoenix noted to fans that she hopes to return to the ring by the end of the year. She tore her ACL in a WWE Superstars match against Rosa Mendes in May.
According to an article on WWE.com documenting the history of The Nexus, Skip Sheffield is no longer considered a member of the group.
The article states: “Immediately following that heinous first attack, the stalwart Bryan expressed remorse for his actions and parted ways with The Nexus, while Tarver, Sheffield and Young were later deemed unworthy of the rebels’ signature armband either due to exile or injury. However, as witnessed by the WWE Universe, the group only grew stronger and more streamlined as a result of the changes within its ranks.”
During the Aug. 18 live event in Honolulu, Hawaii, Sheffield injured his ankle in a tag team match with David Otunga against The Hart Dynasty. It was later determined that he suffered a compound fracture of his ankle and was initially expected to be out for four to six months.
Sheffield was never officially booted from the group on television. Wade Barrett acknowledged in passing during an interview on the Aug. 30 episode of Raw that Sheffield suffered an ankle injury.
— Shawn Michaels, who was featured in a promotional commercial Monday promoting next week’s “Old School” episode of Raw, responded to those who asked if he would be appearing on the show.
“For those asking, I will not be at the old school RAW as best I know,” he wrote on Twitter. “Do I already qualify as “Old School?” If so…SWEET!!!”
— There was a late push to amplify Bragging Rights because members of creative felt it was a flat show going in. Vince McMahon, however, made the decision to keep the script intact and not enhance it.
— Today is injured WWE star Skip Sheffield’s birthday. He turns 29 years old.
— Skip Sheffield, who reportedly suffered a broken left ankle at Wednesday night’s Raw live event in Honolulu, Hawaii, did not work WWE’s shows in Japan and China. Though specifics of his status are unclear, he is expected to be sidelined ‘for some time’.
— Michelle McCool’s wardrobe malfunction during Tuesday’s live episode of NXT was edited off the show’s Saturday night replays on Universal HD. A shot of the crowd was shown in its place.
The multi-time champion’s right breast briefly popped out of her tube top dress while she was cheering Kaval’s rap performance, resulting in the camera quickly panning away.
— Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars on WGN America scored an 0.63 cable rating with 671,000 viewers. The subsequent midnight replay garnered an 0.25 cable rating, with 238,000 viewers. (source: PWInsider.com)
The Nexus standout was reportedly injured at Wednesday’s WWE RAW live event from Honolulu, Hawaii. Several fans sent in word that it appeared Sheffield was injured during his tag match with David Otunga against WWE tag champions the Hart Dynasty.
Sheffield laid face-down in the ring after the match with an apparent leg injury. He was unable to walk by himself, could not put any weight on his left leg and had to be helped out of the ring and to the back.
Sheffield’s left ankle is broken and he will be out of action for quite some time, according to the Wrestling Observer.
Sheffield had been positioned as the #2 star in Nexus behind Wade Barrett .. With the previous departures of Daniel Bryan and Darren Young and now Sheffield being injured, the Nexus is down to only 5 members. There has been talk of bringing some of the Season 2 rookies into Nexus, including Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty.
Which Season 2 rookies do you think would be a good fit for Nexus? Comment below and tell us.
— As of Sunday, the idea was that guest hosts would be used on Raw every other week instead of every week. (source: www.f4wonline.com)
— As seen last night on Raw, Bret Hart was removed from the Raw General Manager position by Vince McMahon for not attending the previous night’s Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view (kayfabe). McMahon then informed fans that a new, anonymous General Manager would take control of the show, emailing announcer Michael Cole his orders. His profile has since been removed from the Raw Superstars section.
— It was also announced on Raw that the Rookies from the first season of NXT have earned contracts with World Wrestling Entertainment (kayfabe). Their respective profiles have been added to Raw Superstars section. It was also revealed that Wade Barrett had been granted a future pay-per-view title match again by the mystery General Manager.
— NXT rookie Skip Sheffield noted on his Twitter account this past week that he was suffering from food poisoning. He said he vomited three times and had very high body temperature. He’s blaming his sickness on Burger King and said he will never eat there again.
— Recently released TNA star Sean Morley was backstage at Monday’s Raw, which emanated from his hometown of Phoenix. He was simply visiting friends.
Morely worked for TNA as recently as February before parting ways with the organization to compete in Mexico. He wrote the following note on his Facebook account regarding his experience: “Just got back from visiting old friends at Raw here in Phoenix. Drive to the arena with my buddy Matt(Atrain). It’s always great to see old friends again.”
— Today marks the twenty-year anniversary of the historic Champion vs. Champion match between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI.
— Raw’s annual post-WrestleMania tour of Europe have John Cena and Triple vs. Sheamus and Big Show, and Randy Orton vs. Christian as the advertised top matches in most cities, with Triple H vs. Randy Orton and John Cena vs. Sheamus headlining other cities. On the SmackDown side, Chris Jericho vs. Edge, and Rey Mysterio and Kane vs. CM Punk and John Morrison, are being advertised as the top matches in most cities, with Edge vs. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk and Kane vs. Drew McIntyre in the remaining venues. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
— Former WWE Diva Lilian Garcia is auctioning off several newly listed WWE items from her closet including an outfit and bra worn for a WWE Magazine photo shoot, a bikini, ring worn outfits and more. You can view the auctions here.
— Yesterday was Melina’s birthday as she turned 31 years old. On her Twitter account, she posted a number of messages chronicling her special day. Also, she noted over the weekend that she is walking again after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in January. She is targeting July for her return to the ring.
— Skip Sheffield has posted a blog regarding his experience this past Monday night on Raw accompanying William Regal for his match against Evan Bourne.
Bad news for Nexus member Skip Sheffield ..